Taselaar Overtakes Recchi For Audi Melges 32 World Championship Lead

Porto Cervo produced another fantastic day of racing at the Audi Melges 32 World Championship, hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Long-time Melges 32 competitor and champion, in fact, a pioneer owner in the Italian yachting market Claudio Recchi onITA-93 Team 93 slipped to second place overall, overtaken by American Pieter Taselaar on USA-169 Bliksem. Much further back in third, another famous Italian outfit Armando Guilietti helming ITA-1 Uka Uka Racing for Lorenzo Santini with tactician Lorenzo Bressani.

Race one, right out of the box was Andrea Cecchetti on ITA-753 Bagua with Vasco Vascatto calling tactics launched around the top mark in first with 2006 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champion Jean-Francois Cruette on FRA-202 Teasing Machine with Cedric Pouligny in second right on his heels. In third was Francesco Martino on ITA-161 Pilot Italia. Cecchetti scrambled to set the chute, Cruette gaining quick. Downwind to the gate Cecchetti controlled the lead with a course change and shortened length. Martino pulled up to take second, Cruette now in third. Making great strides upwind was Guilietti and another American challenger Jason Carroll on USA-128 Argo. Around the top Cecchetti remained in first, with Guillietti challenging for the second and Carroll rolling in third all finishing respectively.

The second race of the day belonged to Joe Woods on GBR-500 Red. From start to finish, Woods jumped the fleet at the top mark and slowly but surely increased his lead the entire way. Several of the regatta leaders looked to the left for pressure, but it was Woods around first, leading three-wide with Cruette, Martino and Stefano Di Properizio on ITA-651 Mataran piling into the mark simultaneously. Downwind to the finish the three battled to the gate and through the finish with Filippo Pacinotti on ITA-667 Brontolo with Freddy Loof on tactics making a move for the lead. Woods won the race, Guilietti gained another second place finish, Pacinotti in third, Cruette was fourth, Taselaar in fifth.

More sunshine, clear skies and lighter breezes prevailed for the start of race three. A short course was on tap with an aggressive start for the 29-strong fleet. Maspero launched ahead of the fleet almost immediately assuming the lead at the top mark ahead of Carlo Alberini on ITA-186 Calvi Network, Pacinotti and Taselaar. Maspero extended his lead downwind, behind him Luigi Melegari on ITA-161 Matarix, Pacinotti moved up to third. Maspero went on for the win while a heated battle between Pacinotti and Taselaar continued. Taselaar took second and Carroll, with another fantastic race was third.

Sunday is the final day of racing in Porto Cervo for the Audi Melges 32 World Championship. The day has been filled with many ups and downs for some of the regattas overnight leaders such as Recchi who fell from first place to second and behind a surprising 19 points. Taselaar looked to have been a tough day none the less, but finds himself in the overall lead. Maspero slipped from third to fourth. Cecchetti improved from eighth to fifth. Carroll is now seated in the top ten, in seventh place overall.

MORE MELGES MEDIAAs expected, there will be plenty of coverage of the Audi Melges 32 World Championship 2009 from several perspectives:

Sailing AnarchyThe producers of Sailing Anarchy's On-The-Water Anarchy are excited to provide complete coverage of the Audi Melges 32 World Championship. They will follow the racers through each start, leg and mark rounding with a combination of text, commentated video, and professional photography. After racing each day, the producers of OTW Anarchy will broadcast a fully live, hour-long talk show with Melges 32 owners, crews, journalists and event personnel over the internet - a first for Melges Performance Sailboats and possibly the first such live, web-based show in sailing history. Audi Melges 32 World Championship 2009

Offshore Rules/Adesso VelaFor those of you in Europe, the extraordinary talents of Offshore Rules and Adesso Vela have joined forces to bring you coverage of the Audi Melges 32 World Championship. Visit Offshore Rules and Adesso Vela all week long for video, dialogue and full event updates. Audi Melges 32 World Championship 2009